


An Unlikely Promise

by BelowZenith



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Comfort, F/F, Femslash, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-12
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-03-17 13:36:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3531257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelowZenith/pseuds/BelowZenith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sera confronts Josephine and the two women reconcile in an unexpected manner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had fun writing this and I really love Josephine and Sera together. I hope I did the pairing justice.

Sera stomped across the courtyard of Skyhold. In her left hand was a crumpled note she had discovered moments earlier. Her thoughts were singularly focused on the woman who had wrote it, the ambassador of the Inquisition, one Lady Josephine Montilyet. Sera was all too familiar with Josephine’s type; she was a noble with a fat purse, fatter head, and the luxury of taking a piss on commonfolk whenever she felt like it. Even when the sky had been ripped apart and demons roamed Thedas, some things never changed. And these days, Sera found herself clinging to constants for comfort. Piss still rolled downhill.

  
She marched up the stairs to Skyhold and into the dimly lit throne room. Before her eyes could adjust, she veered left toward Josephine’s office. Sera knew she had the attention of the congregated nobles; few of them had the decency to pretend as if their gaze was occupied elsewhere. Let them look, she thought. Sera was tired of people assuming she would suffer insult quietly and politely.

  
“Hey, Buttercup, you have a second?” Varric asked as he approached her with a winsome grin, “Curly and I have been debating and-”

  
“Shove off. Not now,” Sera said without even looking at the dwarf.

  
Varric raised both of his hands just above his waist with his palms facing outward. He settled into his customary spot by the fireplace and folded his arms; knowing better than to push his luck when Sera was like this. It would be a kindness to go talk to Blackwall. Sera had made few friends since joining the Inquisition, but she and the Warden had developed quite the rapport. If anyone could ensure Sera’s day was improved, it was him.

  
Josephine Montilyet was in the middle of composing a letter to the Vicomtesse de Moreau when Sera entered her office. She did not look up, but gestured with her free hand that she would attend to Sera in a moment; she wanted to finish the sentence she was carefully constructing. Before Josephine could do so, a balled up piece of paper landed on the the very letter she was writing. Despite feeling nettled, Josephine returned her quill to its resting place and offered Sera a kind smile.

  
“I see you received my message.”

  
“Yea. I got it. And your stupid clothes too. You think I’m some sort of doll that you can just dress up? You can piss off.”

  
Josephine ran her fingers along the edge of her quill and sighed.

  
“I know the uniforms are not exactly flattering, but it’s all I could come up with at a moment’s notice. If it makes you feel any better, the Inquisitor’s outfit is the same as yours and so is mine. In fact, we will all be wearing the same thing.”

  
“What?” Sera asked, clearly confused.

  
“We wanted the Inquisition to stand out and be easily recognizable when we attend the ball at Halamshiral. These were the only outfits I could procure such short notice. ”

  
“You mean you didn’t just--,” Sera’s voice trailed off. She was quiet for a few moments, “Aw, hell. Fine. I’ll wear it, but I won’t like it. ”

  
Sera spun on her heels, desiring to leave the office immediately. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She had been so sure that Josephine had singled her out. Of all the members of the Inquisition, Sera was the only one who wore garments with tears and stains. She selected her clothing in part because it was what she could afford, but she liked the fact that her clothing sent the message that she was not ashamed of her economic status.

  
“Thank you, Sera. I appreciate it,” Josephine called after her.

  
Sera raised a hand in a small wave, but could not bring herself to look back. She walked briskly out of the castle and across the courtyard. She ignored the nods of greeting when she entered Herald’s Rest. Once she made it to the sanctity of her room, she shut the door firmly, leaned against it, and took a deep breath. She had not felt at ease since she arrived at Skyhold. That feeling itself, was not unfamiliar. It had been years since Sera lived in a place that allowed her to feel comfortable. She was feeling something different. She wondered why Josephine was always kind to her; even when Sera made the ambassador's life more difficult. This was not the first time the two had not seen eye to eye, but it was the first time Sera had been explicitly confrontational.

Sera shook her head and raked her fingers through her hair before she made her way over to the windowseat. She knelt down and pulled up a loose floorboard. Hidden away from prying eyes was a small box. The sky-blue paint had chipped over the years. The faded, red rose on the lid was just barely discernible. Sera touched the top with reverence and closed her eyes. She opened it to reveal the red velvet lining. The box was empty; as it always had been.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Blackwall made his way up the tavern stairs that led to Sera’s room. If he had not talked to Varric, he would have been surprised to see that her door was shut. He knocked loudly three times.

  
“I need to lose some money to you tonight and the beers won’t drink themselves.”

  
“Alright, Alright. I’m comin’. Settle down, yeah?”

  
Sera opened the door. Despite her mood, she could not help but grin when she saw him. His beard was full of tiny braids and daisies had been woven into it sporadically.

  
“D’ ya get in a fight with a meadow?”

  
“Nothing of the sort. There were a couple of kids in camp. I let--,” Blackwall stopped and shook his head, “Why am I telling you this? Come on, let’s go to the bar.”

  
Blackwall headed down the stairs with a self-satisfied grin. He had hoped the flowers would make her smile.

  
“Friend, bring us a pitcher of ale!” Blackwall shouted toward the barkeep.

  
“I wasn’t your friend last night and I’m not your friend tonight," Cabot answered.

  
The bartender moved slowly to fetch a pitcher and fill it with dark ale.

  
“So, what’s the plan tonight?” Sera asked as she settled in at their usual table.

  
“Well, we could try to pick up women,” Blackwall winked.

  
“You mean fail at pickin’ up women. We can’t all be smooth like Krem over there,” Sera gestured with a tilt of her head.

  
Blackwall looked in the mercenary’s direction. Krem was chatting with one of the waitresses and Scout Harding. Both women were leaning in to listen to him as he talked; a big grin plastered on his face. Blackwall chuckled and cracked his knuckles.

“I’ll be damned. The young man is quite the charmer."

  
Cabot deposited the pitcher and two glasses onto their table unceremoniously. He turned quickly to avoid being engaged in conversation. Blackwall poured a glass of beer and pushed it toward Sera before pouring his own.

  
“Sides it seems there aren’t many women who are into women ‘round here,” Sera shrugged and slid the mug closer to herself.

  
Blackwall took a long draw of his beer. Some of the foam was trapped by his whiskers. Sera had ceased teasing him about it a few weeks ago.

  
“You never know unless you ask, Sera.”

  
“D’you get a package from Miss Prissypants today?”

  
“Oh, come on! Josephine’s lovely.” He grinned mischievously,” The toy soldier uniform?”

  
“Ugly, right?”

  
“Absolutely hideous.”

  
“The worst, yeah?" Sera smiled, relieved. Josephine had been telling the truth.


	3. Chapter 3

Another long day had come to a close and Josephine was finally alone in her own room. At Haven, her personal quarters had seemed like a refuge; a place where she could finally be herself. Sure, it was small and drafty, but it was where her things were. At Skyhold, however, she had yet to relax; even when she was alone. Her ceiling leaked; there was still rubble in her room. Last night, she had seen a rat. All of her finer things were lost when they fled Haven; so much was lost at Haven. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she blinked them back. Josephine stretched out on her bed; careful to dangle her shod feet over the side. She closed her eyes and wished she could hear the waves of Rialto Bay. She used to listen to them every night before falling asleep as a young girl. Then she remembered, being wistful never accomplished anything.

Something was preventing Josephine from relaxing. She had tried to read a novel Cassandra had loaned her, but she ended up just staring at the words on the page. She started reviewing the events of her day while pacing back and forth across the length of her room. Josephine took pleasure in her livelihood and knew she was adept. She was certain she had not made any political missteps since assuming her position as the Inquisition's ambassador. The conduct required of her profession came to her easily, but the social demands of her work left her feeling drained. People seldom saw her as anything other than her title. Today, in particular had been exhausting. She knew she should feel satisfied with herself professionally; the work she had done for the Inquisition in such a small amount of time was nothing short of remarkable. Still, here she was, restless and acutely aware that something just was not right. 

Her thoughts kept returning to her confrontation with Sera. Josephine was not sure why the elf was so angered over the uniform in the first place. She breathed in deeply, exhaled and stared up at the ceiling. Relaxation was not going to come easily tonight. She opened her door with the intention of seeking out Leliana. The two were old friends and had spent many evenings together giggling well into the night. Her feet, however, had another plan. Josephine found herself at the door of the Herald’s Rest.


	4. Chapter 4

Inside of the tavern, Maryden was singing a song about Celene, Empress of Orlais. Sera and Blackwall were working on their third pitcher of beer. Over the course of the night, Iron Bull and Dorian had joined them. The two newcomers sat shoulder to shoulder. Blackwall’s sense of propriety had stopped him from mentioning anything about the trysts he assumed the two were having. Besides, it was clear that he and the Tevinter did not get along well, and it would not behoove him to strain their relationship further. Sera’s tongue however, had been loosened quite liberally thanks to the ale.

“So are you two fucking or what?,” she asked leaning across the table.

“That is absolutely none of your--” Dorian started.

“Yes!” Bull exclaimed.

“Vishante Kaffas, Bull. A little subtlety can’t be that difficult for you, can it?”

“Come now, Dorian. Can’t I be a little proud of the fact that I get to have you in my bed?”

Bull moved a well-muscled arm around Dorian’s shoulders and looked incredibly smug. Dorian was doing his best to feign indignance, but could not suppress a smile as he felt Bull press his lips to his temple.

Josephine entered the tavern slowly; her eyes scanning the room. She had actually arranged for the building to be used as a bar and was responsible for the name, 'Herald’s Rest,’ but this was the first time she had visited since business had commenced. Scents of leather, ale, and bodies hit her nose immediately. With a bit of effort, she was able to stop her distaste from manifesting itself upon her face. The familiar lilt of Maryden’s voice comforted her. She handpicked the minstrel herself, much to Leliana’s dismay. Josephine had always loved Maryden's songs, but it was no secret that the minstrel had been trying to court the Nightingale for some time. Leliana actually enjoyed the advances, but deemed them frivolous in comparison to her duties as Left Hand of the Divine. Josie smiled at her own cleverness. Leliana could use a bit of sweetness in her life; even if she tried so hard to deny herself happiness.

Josephine made her way across the room with measured, graceful steps. Her fancy clothing could not be more out of place, but her poise stopped anyone from mentioning it. Several patrons nodded toward her politely. She spotted Sera at a table with Blackwall, Iron Bull, and Dorian. She approached cautiously, careful not to interrupt their conversation.

“Lady Josephine, would you care to join us?” Blackwall asked with a warm grin.

Sera shifted her weight a little uncomfortably and averted her eyes.  
“ Warden Blackwall, Sera, Dorian, The Iron Bull” she nodded at each of them as she said their names in greeting, “It’s a pleasure to see all of you.”

Sera’s eyes did not meet Josephine’s even when she had specifically addressed her. Josephine felt a small pang of dismay.

“Oh, Josephine, I have been meaning to ask. Have you happened to find a good Southern tailor?” Dorian smiled and pulled out the empty chair next to him without moving away from Bull’s embrace.

“Do such things even exist?” Josephine smiled, but regretted the joke as soon as it left her lips. She sat down and smoothed the fabric of her skirt.

Dorian laughed warmly and Blackwall forced a chuckle.

“A great many Orlesians would protest that statement with much ferocity, my lady,” Blackwall said.

“Oh, blah, blah, are we really going to talk about clothes or are we going to talk about somethin’ fun?” Sera asked, her elbows on the table.

“Actually, Sera I was hoping the two of us could talk in private about an important matter?” Josephine asked.

Sera froze and made herself meet Josephine’s gaze.

“Well now’s as good a time as any,” Sera said standing up and dusting herself off, “Better be some fun to be had when I get back.”

“Thanks Sera. Oh, and Warden?” Josephine asked grinning a Blackwall.

“Hmm?”

“That’s a good look for you," she said chuckling and offered a small wave to Dorian and Bull.

Blackwall grinned and stroked his beard; unaware that he knocked a few daisies onto the floor as he watched the two women leave the tavern.


	5. Chapter 5

The night air was cool and crisp. The leaves were turning and the sweet smell of decay mingled with the campfires and the pilgrims. Skyhold, large as it was, was still unable to accommodate everyone that flocked to the Inquisition’s banner. The din of conversations and laughter were carried through the courtyard by the wind. The sky itself was a sight to behold; devoid of cloud cover. The stars that shown the brightest obfuscated those that were further away. The careful observer could still see the lesser stars and slight color variations between each of them. Stars gave off more than white light, after all; some were gold, red, blue or green. Sera favored Autumnal nights like these. She remembered being around nine years old, and trying to find images in the stars from the roof of the Gnawed Noble Tavern in Denerim. She had heard a group of human kids talking about constellations once and the concept fascinated her. She always told herself that she climbed up on that roof to eavesdrop, but she rarely heard anything noteworthy from that post. Sera was remembering this as she walked across the courtyard with Josephine. They were halfway to the stables before the silence was broken.

“It’s a most lovely night,” Josephine said breathing in through her nose.

Sera did not respond right away. She self-consciously rubbed her palms on her thighs. She was certain they were sweating. Sera was tried to convince herself that she did not owe Josephine an apology. The problem was, Sera was a hard woman to convince of anything.

“It is pretty. But pretty’s not why we’re out here,” Sera said sharply.

“No. I guess it is not,” Josephine continued, softening her tone, “Sera, I am not sure how, but I believe I have offended you. I never meant to--”

“Oh, come off it!” Sera interrupted curtly.

Josephine looked at her bewildered and opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when Sera started again.

“No need for that. If anything I- Oh, Andraste’s tits! Forget it,” Sera said softly and stared at her shoes.

  
When she looked up, she was surprised to see Josephine was smiling at her. For the first time, Sera noticed she had dimples. The two of them had stopped just shy of the stables.

“Are you saying that, perhaps, we might get along?”

“We might if you stop asking stupid questions. Now, come on.”

Sera motioned for Josephine to follow her as she entered the barn where Blackwall spent most of his time. She climbed a ladder to the hayloft and then looked down at Josephine teasingly.

“Are you going to be able to make it up on your own, Lady Ambassador?”

“With ease."

Josephine climbed up the ladder with surprising agility. When she arrived at the top rung, Sera offered an outstretched hand. Josephine took it between the tips of her fingers and her thumb in courtly fashion. Sera clasped her hand roughly around Josephine’s and pulled her up. Josephine was not expecting the boost.  When she found her footing, her nose was a hair’s breadth away from Sera’s forehead. Neither woman moved. Josephine hoped the dimness concealed the flush that came to her cheeks.

The moon was waning, but it still shown brightly just outside of the window. Sera took a half-step back to admire the pale light reflecting off of Josephine’s face. She wondered what the Antivan would look like with her hair down and spilling over her shoulders. Sera bit the insides of her cheeks; an old nervous habit while she still held on to the ambassador’s hand.

“Come on, Josie.”

Beneath the large window, there were bales of hay arranged in a configuration large enough for a man to sleep on and covered by a few blankets. Sera often lounged here while visiting Blackwall. Josephine allowed Sera to lead her to this spot. They sat across from one another. Josephine took her hand back from Sera - not because she wanted to, but because it seemed most proper.

“S’got a nice view, yeah?” Sera asked studying Josephine’s face.

“It is quite lovely.”

No torches or campfires were present on this side of the fortification. The stars, too numerous to count and more brilliant than in the courtyard, littered the sky. The view was framed by Skyhold’s crumbling fortifications. It was easy to forget that the castle was burdened with history during the day when there was so much going on. But right now, there was no denying it; Skyhold had many long-forgotten stories. It had been left desolate, forgotten and in need of repair for years. A familiar sadness started creeping in to Josephine’s thoughts.

Sera watched the curve of Josephine’s lips straighten and noticed that her eyes seemed to focus on something far away. She wanted to take the woman’s hand in hers again, but something stopped her.

“Say, Josie, you wouldn’t happen to know the fancy names of any of the stars would you?”

  
Josephine turned her head slowly. Until now, Leliana was the only person who had called her by the name she called herself. Hearing it on Sera’s lips was comforting. She looked at her companion thoughtfully.

“Yes. I suppose I do know a few. You can’t see too many of the constellations from this angle. But sure enough, there’s Eluvia."

Josephine pointed out the constellation that was commonly thought to depict a woman with her head stuck in the clouds. Sera leaned in to see where she was pointing and became acutely aware of the warmth of Josephine’s shoulder against hers.

“What’s her story?”

“Eluvia was said to be very fair. She was desired by men and women alike. However, she was an innocent and more interested in her studies than in love.”

“That a fancy way of saying she was a virgin?”

Josephine let out a giggle and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Yes. I suppose it is. There was a man in town, a mage. He lusted after Eluvia and had devised a plan to steal her maidenhood. Eluvia’s father wanted to protect her. To save her from such a fate, he sent her into the sky, so she could be occupied with her studies and never troubled by the wants of the flesh. It is said she became the constellation we are looking at now. There are several different Orlesian legends that focus on Eluvia’s journey, but I doubt you would want to hear them.”

Josephine’s gaze had remained fixed on the stars as she had talked. Now, she was self-conscious; worried she had prattled on for too long and had bored her companion. When Josephine turned to look at Sera, she was unaware of how close the two of them had become. Their noses brushed. Before she knew what was happening, Sera cupped her cheek and she felt the warmth of Sera’s lips on hers.Josephine's entire body hummed with sensation. She parted Sera’s lips with her own and found that she tasted faintly of dark beer and tobacco smoke. Sera’s thumb tenderly stroked her cheek. She knew she should pull away for propriety’s sake, but Sera felt so warm and soft. One of Sera’s hands were in her hair, her tongue ran along Josephine’s tentative and curious.

Before Josephine could reconsider, Sera was straddling her and kissing her with such ferocity that their teeth clacked together. Josephine gripped onto the other woman’s waist for leverage. It had been so long since she had felt the touch of a lover. The last time was with Leliana and that had been almost five years ago. It was an act born out of emotional exhaustion, need, and familiarity, but this was different. She wanted this. She wanted Sera. She pulled her closer to eliminate the space between their bodies.

She felt Sera’s nails graze lightly at the nape of her neck and let out moan that was muffled by the other woman’s mouth. Sera’s nimble fingers made short work of unbuttoning her blouse. In a flash lips and teeth were on Josephine’s exposed neck. Josephine gasped and felt the skin all over her body tighten. She gripped Sera’s hipbones; pressing against them with her thumbs.

“Oh, Sera.”

Sera pulled away, grinning. She slid Josephine’s blouse off of her shoulders and admired ther bared breasts. Josephine hunched forward self consciously. Sera grabbed her wrists and moved in close enough to kiss her.

“You’re beautiful, Josie. Fuck anyone who makes you feel otherwise.”

Josephine tilted her head down and kissed Sera hard. Sera moved her cupped Josephine's breasts and used  skilled fingers making Josephine’s nipple’s erect. Her lips left Josephine’s mouth and trailed down her neck. She took one of Josephine’s nipples between her teeth and rolled it. She was pleased when Josephine cried out. Sera kissed further along her soft stomach. Then she gently guided Josephine to lay down. She took her time sliding off Josephine’s stockings. She loved watching Josephine’s impatience grow. Finally, Sera removed her skirt to reveal a rather matronly set of smallclothes. Sera, still clothed, crawled on top of Josephine and kissed her slowly, running her tongue alongside Josephine’s as she slipped her hand inside of Josephine’s smalls. A thankful cry escaped Josephine’s lip as Sera slid a finger inside of her. She used her thumb to find the spot that would soon make Josephine’s legs shake.

Josephine tried to focus on kissing Sera, but eventually she lost composure and could only keep her mouth open, panting. She thrust her hips upward into Sera’s touch. Sera inserted another finger and took pleasure in watching Josephine writhe. Moonlight spilled over the curves of her body and shadows danced across her skin as she bucked and twisted under Sera’s touch.

“Sera, I’m close.”

“Not yet.”

“Please?” Josephine’s voice was raspy and filled with need.

“No.”

Josephine whimpered as Sera moved down her body and firmly pushed her thighs apart. She locked her forearms around Josephine’s thick thighs and blew a stream of air in between Josephine’s legs.

“Please, oh, please?”

“Please, what?” Sera asked sounding almost disinterested.

“Please, Sera.”

“You’re going to have to ask for what you want, Lady Montileyet.”

“Please, please make me come.”

“Good girl.”

It did not take long. Sera’s skilled mouth brought Josephine to a blinding climax. When Josephine had finished, she crawled up and kissed her; allowing her to taste herself on Sera’s lips.

It was during their second bout of lovemaking that Blackwall entered the barn. Neither of the women in the hayloft noticed him. He left quickly and chuckled to himself, realizing that Sera probably had no idea he actually slept there. He decided to make use of Sera’s room. She certainly was not going to need it tonight. He grinned the entire way back to Herald’s Rest.

Back in the hayloft, Josephine breathed in deeply, her head was resting on Sera’s shoulder. She kissed the elf’s jawline before settling back into the crook of her arm. Their bodies were intertwined, but they had been still long enough for their sweat to dry.

“Well, that was good,” Sera proclaimed.

“Good? Well, if that’s what you call ‘good,’ I’d love to see what you would call ‘great,’” Josie giggled.

“Stick around and you will," Sera paused. When she spoke next, she wasn't boastful and she would not meet Josephine's eyes. "You are going to stick around aren’t you?”

“You will not be rid of me that easily, Sera.”

“Promise?” Sera’s voice cracked when she asked the question.

Josephine sat up, balancing herself on her elbows and turned toward her lover. She was surprised to see how vulnerable Sera looked.

“Do you have a dagger handy?”

“Always,” Sera said with uncertainty, but she sat up and started rummaging through her knife belt.

 Josephine admired Sera’s bare back. The vertebrae were just visible below her shoulder blades and she had the two of the most beautiful indentations right below the small of her back. Josephine wanted to run her tongue along them.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sera handed her a dagger hilt up. Josephine used it to carefully cut a lock of hair from the back of her head. She sat the dagger down and tied a knot in the lock to keep it together then she placed it in Sera’s hand.

“Promise.”

Sera felt tears pool in her eyes. She threw her arms around Josephine’s neck. Josephine held her close and stroked her hair. Eventually, the two women laid down on their sides facing the window. Josephine had one arm under Sera’s neck and the other draped over her waist. Sera still had the lock of hair in her hand as she started to drift off to sleep. Tomorrow, she would stow her treasure in the painted box she had kept for ten years.

Josephine watched Sera doze for a long while. Many different feelings were competing for her attention; excitement, fear, and most dangerous of all, hope. Eventually, exhaustion won, and Josephine closed her eyes. It had been weeks since she had a proper night’s rest; The regular rhythm of Sera’s breathing lulled her to sleep. It was the sweetest sound she had heard since she was a young girl listening to the waves of Rialto Bay.


End file.
